1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to arm slings and more particularly to an adjustable sling for supporting an arm that holds a baby.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Slings and pouches have been used for many years for holding and carrying babies. One familiar type of sling comprises a triangular or rectangular cloth which is secured behind or on one side of the neck of a wearer by knotting or otherwise attaching the corners. The sling either descends directly or crosses the from of the wearer. The baby is held and enclosed in a pouch that is formed by opening the cloth. Such slings have the advantage of being inexpensive but are cumbersome to use and adjust and can be uncomfortable due to pressure on or across the neck of the wearer. A further difficulty is that a large surface area of cloth is required, thereby making the sling difficult to carry about when not being used.
Various pouches are commercially available for holding and carrying babies on either the back or the front of the wearer. A backpack type of pouch has the advantage of being able to support a larger and/or heavier baby with relatively less strain to the wearer. However, some babies, especially younger ones, are unhappy and become fussy unless held facing the front of the wearer. Further, existing commercial pouches of both back and front types are relatively expensive, difficult to carry when not in use, and cannot easily be adjusted without taking the baby out of the pouch and the pouch off of the wearer.
Some babies need to be held but become frustrated and cry when not free to move their upper bodies about. Existing commercial pouches do not work for these babies because the pouches overly restrict the baby's movement. Yet, holding the baby can quickly become tiring for the holder, especially if the holder needs to hold the baby in only one arm in order to have the other arm free.